• On this day, January 24, 1950, a U.S. patent is awarded to Percy Spencer for the microwave oven.
Today’s quiz is about the invention of the microwave oven
Question A: What lead to the discovery of the microwave oven? Hint, it was serendipitous
Question B: What was the first food ever cooked using a microwave
The Answer:
Part A: The microwave oven was invented accidentally in 1945 by Percy Spencer, a self-taught American engineer working for Raytheon Corporation.
Raytheon was producing magnetrons—high-powered vacuum tubes that generated microwaves for radar systems.
In 1945, while standing near an active magnetron during testing, Spencer noticed a chocolate bar in his pocket had melted completely. He realized the microwaves from the magnetron were heating the candy through dielectric heating (agitating water molecules inside food to generate heat from within).
Recognizing the potential, Spencer and his team at Raytheon built a crude prototype: they attached a high-powered magnetron to a metal box (acting as a shielded cavity) to contain the microwaves and direct them at food. This enclosed setup prevented the waves from escaping and allowed controlled cooking.
Part B: The first food ever “microwaved” was popcorn—Spencer scattered kernels near the magnetron, and they popped almost instantly, followed by an exploding egg in his next experiment.
The Winners:
N9PL – Part A
K5WDW – Part A
KA9QJT – Part A
W0PC – Part A
KE4SKA – Part A & Part B
WU5E – Part A & Part B
K3WGS – Part A & Part B
Thanks, to all that participated in today’s Net!
-K4RJT/Ron